1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer for directly loading image data stored in a digital camera (electronic camera), and further relates to a printing system for using this printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital camera for recording a taken image in a memory card is known. The taken image is recorded as digital data. The memory card is used for recording the data at the time of photographing, since a data-writing speed is fast. However, a price per unit memory capacity is high. Meanwhile, when an image taken by the digital camera is printed by an external printer, there are some methods, in one of which the taken image data is inputted into the printer via the memory card, and in the other of which the taken image data is inputted into the printer via a personal computer. However, when the taken image data is transferred via the memory card and the personal computer, it is troublesome to set the memory card and to connect the digital camera to the personal computer. In view of this, a printing system in which the digital camera is directly connected to the external printer is provided. In this printing system, the taken image data is directly transferred to the external printer to perform printing. Another printing system using a communication interface and a radio interface is also provided (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 11-88815).
However, with respect to the image data recorded in the digital cameras of different models and of different manufactures, formats thereof are different. Moreover, image processing methods at the time of photographing are also different. Therefore, an error is likely to be caused while printing is performed, and it is likely to cause a defect that color and density of the image become different as a result. In the meantime, the printer is generally connected to the personal computer with a wire interface and is set in a mode for waiting a print instruction from the personal computer. Thus, when the data is transferred from the digital camera via a radio interface, an operation for changing the mode of the printer is required each time so that an advantage of radio communication becomes impaired.